Apparatus for connecting two or more working operations in the production, preparation or finishing of yarns

ABSTRACT

In apparatus for processing yarn, spindles mounted on a rotatable arm are movable between two work stations by motive means. The latter is actuated by a sensor sensitive to the amount of yarn built up on a tube mounted on one of the spindles at a first work station. Following the arm and spindle movement, the yarn disposed on the one spindle is played out in a subsequent yarn processing step at a second station, while yarn continues to be wound in a substantially continuous manner about the other spindle disposed on said arm, which other spindle has been moved to the first station.

United States Patent 1 Bous [4 1 Sept. 9, 1975 [76] Inventor: Karl Bous,Sternstr. 74, 56

Wuppertal 2. Germany [22] Filed: June 4, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 366,850

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 8, 1972 Germany 2227903 [52]US. Cl 57/34 R; 57/58.3; 57/62; 57/75; 57/136; 242/18 R; 242/355 R [51]Int. Cl. DOIH 1/00; DOIH 9/00 [58] Field of Search 57/1 R. 34 R, 34 HS,54, 57/136-137, 156, 52, 58.3, 62. 75; 242/355 R, 35.5 A, 18 R 3,094,7616/1963 Dudzik 57/34 HS X 3.491.528 1/1970 Whittaker ct a1. 57/34 R XFOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 855,057 11/1960 United Kingdom 242/355 RPrimary Examiner-John W. Huckert Assistant ExaminerCharles GorensteinAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Neuman, Williams. Anderson & Olson 5 7 ABSTRACTIn apparatus for processing yarn, spindles mounted on a rotatable armare movable between two work stations by motive means. The latter isactuated by a sensor sensitive to the amount of yarn built up on a tubemounted on one of the spindles at a first work station. Following thearm and spindle movement, the yarn disposed on the one spindle is playedout in a subsequent yarn processing step at a second station while yarncontinues to be wound in a substantially continuous manner about theother spindle disposed on said arm, which other spindle has been movedto the first station.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS2,511,928 6/1950 Mansfield et a1. 57/52 X 3,067.56? 12/1962 Baer 57/54 I2! J7 I] II I I] J0 if 0 :ELM

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APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING TWO OR MORE WORKING OPERATIONS IN THEPRODUCTION, PREPARATION OR FINISHING OF YARNS This invention relates toa process and apparatus for efficiently combining two or more operationsin the production, preparation and/or finishing of yarns.

The cops produced on spinning machines, processing and/or finishingmachines for yarn. cops, bobbins or windings of various types, afterreaching the size determined by the machine or prescribed for thefurther processing, are conveyed by hand in conveyor boxes or by meansof conveyor belts to the next processing machine. operations In themeantime, the original machines are left with empty tubes and, by way ofexample, spinning or yarn twisting machines are brought into theirstarting position, and it is only after this preliminary step that themachine operation can be continued. It is understood that by removingthe full cops or bobbins and the replacement therewith by empty tubesthere arise stoppages, which impair the production efficiency of themachines. Equally or more significant in this connection, however, isthe fact that the above replacement operation in many cases require alarge number of personnel for the attendant unproductive conveying andstorage operations.

These inefficiencies were recognized by various machine manufacturerswhereupon they equipped their machines with mechanical or automaticdevices for removing the full cops or bobbins. Success was attained, tobe sure, in some cases in lowering the production and finishing costs ofyarns, but simultaneously the apparatus investment and the spacerequirements increased. The prior art automatic machines arecomplicated, subject to breakdown and the conveying and storageoperations are only partially reduced by them.

Other machinery manufacturers have joined two working processes into oneworking operation, but thereby made the speed of production dependent onthe slower working process. Thus, there is known a texturizing machinein which the curling and the twisting steps are combined by means sothat the curled yarn is wound directly onto a ring-twist spindle. Thedisadvantage of this otherwise labor-saving process, however, lies inthe fact that the curling speed is not maintained in desired relation tothe twisting speed and thereby the economy of this process has beenlost.

Futher, there are known machines which have available at each windingplace or pirning head doubly or triply combined bobbin frames. After onebobbin reaches a predetermined winding diameter, the bobbin frame turnsthrough 180 or 120, brings the full bobbin out of engagement with thewinding device and the yarn is then wound on the empty tube of thefollowing bobbin frame part without interrupting the winding operation.Only after this do the operators remove the full bobbin from the bobbinframe and replace it with an empty tube.

This device for the bobbin change on the running thread isadvantageously used, for example, in chemical fiber spinning machines oron machines in which any interruption of the winding process lead todifficulties in the resetting operation, or where the machines, becauseof a low winding speed and few thread breakages, run unattended in thenight shift.

Underlying the present invention is the desire to combine two or moreoperating processes hitherto carried out separately, with only minimumintervention by the attending personnel, to avoid the conveyance of theyarn between these processing locations, and to avoid the manual removalof the full cops or bobbins as well as their manual replacement withempty tubes. In the provided arrangement the large number of tubeshitherto necessary for the working operation is reduced to two or threetubes per pirning head.

According to the invention, this is achieved in machines employed inspinning, twisting, winding and/or yarnfinishing processes by equippingsuch machines with at least two spinning, twisting or winding spindlesmounted on a rotatable arm or lever. After receiving the prescribedamount of yarn, the cops or bobbins are not removed from the spindlesand replaced by empty tubes, but through a rotation of the combinedspinning, twisting and/or winding spindles about an axis of the lever,the empty tube of the combined spindle passes into the working positionfor the first operating process, which is thus not interrupted, or onlybriefly interrupted.

The full cop, winding or bobbin of the combined spindle serves as atwisting or run-off spindle for the following processing step, whoseoperating speed is preferably greater than the speed of the precedingstep. Regardless of the relative speeds, the spindle with the unwoundtube is available in time for the first working operation. If the secondprocessing step is slower than the first, it is also possible to stopthe preceding work ing operation until the second operation iscompleted. In the case of low thread speeds of the first operatingprocess, the yarn of several first working steps may be grouped wherebyfull cops or bobbins are successively fed onto a rapidly operatingsubsequent step of the process.

Further features of the invention are described with the aid of thedrawings, in which there are schemati- 'cally represented severalpreferred forms of the inven tion, in various textile machines. Thevarious inventive features noted in the drawings can be used in otherforms of the invention individually or in any combination on othertextile machines.

FIG. 1 shows in front view a curling texturizing and twisting machinewhich is equipped with the device for connecting the two operations;

FIG. 2 shows in side view a device for the simultaneous twisting, yarnfinishing and after-twisting;

FIG. 3 shows in front view another device for produc ing multipletwists;

FIG. 4 shows schematically the twist construction of the twist made onthe device according to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows in plan several spinning units of an OE spinning machine,from whose full bobbins in the reset position the yarn is unwoundthrough a reciprocating automatic pirning head, cleaned and wound ontocross bobbins;

FIG. 6 shows in side view a ring spinning machine with combined spinningand unwinding spindles which accomplish the unwinding of the yarn fromthe cops, the yarn cleaning and the winding onto the cross bobbinsthrough a reciprocating pirning head;

FIG. 7 shows in side view a composite twist machine employing combinedring-twist and uptwister spindles rotatably mounted on a lever.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. I there is represented in frontview the unit of a curl texturizing and twisting machine. By means oftwo combined winding and twisting spindles per working position thismachine is able to carry out the texturizing and the twisting withoutintermediate transportation of the bobbins with the curled yarn (andunder special conditions without intervention of the operating personnelsimultaneously.

Endless yarns l and 2 to be texturized in FIG. I are conducted fromrun-off bobbins 3 and 4 through thread brakes 5 and 6 to deliverycomponents 8 and 9 driven by shaft 7. From components 8 and 9 the yarnsare conducted at the speed necessary for the curling to deliverycomponents 11 and 12 driven by shaft 10. Between the deliverycomponents, the thread tension required for the curling is maintainedconstant; from rotary tubelets I3 and 14 the endless yarn is rotated atthe prescribed speed after passing through heater l5.

Yarns turned in Z- and S-directions, or also several curling yarns,coming from the delivery components 11 and 12, are wound by combinedwinding and twisting spindle I6 onto its disk bobbin 17. The bobbindriven at the periphery of winding body 18 by winding roller 19 runs ata constant peripheral speed corresponding to the texturizing speed. Withthe use of disk bobbins, thread guide 20 distributes the plied curlingyarn parallel; on tubes, however, the yarn is applied in the form of across bobbin.

The combined winding and twisting spindle 16 in position l is fastenedto arm 21 of a two-arm lever 23 rotatably mounted on bearing 22, andpressed by its own weight or additionally with weights and/or a springon the winding roller 19. On second arm 24 of the lever 23 in positionll there is fastened a further winding and twisting spindle 25, whichwith its whorl 26 is pressed against an endless belt or against disk 27and is rotated by the latter at a high rate of speed.

Disk bobbin 28 illustrated on spindle was previously in position I woundby the winding roller 19 and the thread guide 20 with yarns coming fromthe texturizing devices. From the spindle 25 rotating at 16,000 to20,000 rpm., yarn 29 runs through balloon thread guide 30 at a constantwinding speed onto bobbin 31. This winding device consists of bobbinroller 32, thread guide 33 and bobbin frame 34. At 16,000 rpm. and 80T/min. of the twist, the winding speed is 200 m/min.

If the yarn 29 on the bobbin 3! is subsequently dyed, this is to bewound at a certain higher speed adapted to the contraction degree ontothe bobbin 31. For this purpose there is to be interposed between thespindle 25 and the bobbin 31 a further yarn delivery mecha nism 35.

The manner of operation of the device according to,

FIG. 1 is as follows: After disk bobbin 18 is wound with the prescribedamount of yarn, electric touch contact 36 may trigger drive mechanism 37thus turning the lever 23 through about 180, so that the spindle 16 withthe disk bobbin I7 is lifted out of position I with the winding roller19 and its whorl comes to a stop shortly before the contact point withthe drive disk 27. Simultaneously, likewise through the revolution ofthe lever 23, the spindle 25 moves from position II into position I andits disk bobbin 28, from which yarn has been removed in the meantime, isplaced against the winding roller 19, which drives the bobbin 28 at itsperiphery.

A device known in the art (not illustrated) cuts through the yarnsection between the two disk bobbins and guides the yarn coming from thetexturizing devices to the empty disk bobbin lying on the windingroller, without interrupting the curling process. The yarn end of thefull disk bobbin in position II can be fed either by hand or by anautomatic device (not shown in the drawing) through balloon thread guide30 and delivery mechanism 35 to the bobbin 31, whereupon, through thecompletion of the revolution of the lever 23 to the spindle whorl ispressed on the disk 27, the spindle is set in rotation and through theinterposition of the winding device with the bobbin 3] the twistingprocess, too, is continued.

The texturizing and twisting speeds must be related in such a way thatthe twisting process takes less time than the texturizing, which isdirectly achievable by the use of high-speed, combined winding andtwisting spindles. If, however, say, because of thread breakages thathave occured in the twisting, the disk bobbin in position I] should notbe empty in time, then the texturizing process on the correspondingcurling devices can be interrupted until the completion of the twistingopera tion.

The device described in FIG. 1 can also be completed utilizingtexturizing machines already on hand. In these cases it is moreadvantageous not to wind the texturized yarns onto the winding devicesof the texturizing machine and to combine their winding spindles intowinding and twisting spindles, but the yarns are to be guided overthread guides and or rolls to the winding and twisting spindles whichare mounted on a stand beside the texturizing machine.

Likewise over thread guides the yarn wound and twisted on the standaccording to the invention can be wound onto the winding devices of thetexturizing machine. The long running paths of the untwisted and of thetwisted yarn allow the interpositioning of various thermal and /orchemical treatments of the yarn. It is also possible, however, to equipthe stand with reel devices and to texturize, twist and reel in stringsof the texturized yarn in one operation.

In certain texturizing processes there can be achieved such hightexturizing speeds that the texturizing, as seen from the viewpoint ofspeed, no longer stands in desired relation with the twisting on thecombined winding and twisting spindle. In such cases, instead of thenormal final winding place there can be used a further device, alreadydescribed, consisting of a rotatably mounted lever and two combinedwinding and twisting places, whereby the twisting speed can be increasedto 400 to 500 m/min. In another case, in one operation the pretwistedyarn is after-twisted on a ring-twist spindle or a DD twist spindle,which likewise leads to a higher total twisting speed.

An apparatus for the simultaneous after-twisting of endless yarns or forthe twisting of plied yarns, their treatment, finishing, and for thetwisting together of several pretwisted twines on one machine isschematically represented in side view in FIG. 2.

On upright twister spindles 39 and 40 rotatably driven by endless belt38 there are slipped bobbins 41 and 42 with unturned endless yarn orplied yarns. Twisted twines 43 and 44 from the spindles 39 and 40, ordepending on desired twist construction, also of twines coming fromseveral spindles are drawn off by draw-off roller pair 45, whosedraw-off speed in combination with the turning rate of the spindlesdetermines the twist of the twines 43 and 44, drawn off from the bobbins41 and 42, plied over guide roll 46 to yarn treatment device 47.

Delivery mechanism 48 delivers the plied yarns, treated in the treatmentdevice 47 to cross or disk bobbin 51 driven by winding roller 49 on theperiphery and mounted on combined winding and twisting spindle 50, onwhich the plied twines are distributed. Depending on the winding type ofthread guides 52, the ply yarns are distributed parallel or in crossedrelation.

The speed of the delivery mechanism 48 is adjustable in such a way withrespect to the speed of the draw-off roller pair 45 that the ply yarnsin the yarn improvement device can be stretched or relaxed. The spindle50 in position III is slidably fastened to arm 53 of lever 55, rotatablymounted on bearing 54, to slide in slot 56 in such a way that the bobbin5] is pressed by pressure spring 57 onto the winding roller 49.

To the other arm of the lever 55 in position IV there is slidablyfastened a second winding and twisting spindle 58 adapted to slide inslot 59. When the bobbin 51 has reached the desired diameter, turningdevice 60 receives from sensor 61 a signal to turn the lever 55 through180, whereupon the spindle 50 with the full bobbin 51 passes out ofposition III into position IV, whorl 62 of which, however, cannot bepressed by the pressure spring an endless belt 63 until stop 64 isoperated by hand or mechanically, to release the spindle.

Simultaneously, through the revolution of the lever 55 the spindle 58comes out of position IV into position III, whereupon by pressure spring65 the spindle 58 with its tube, that has become empty in the meantime,is pressed on the winding roller 49 and the winding pro cess continueson this tube. By a known device (not illustrated) the plied yarnsbetween the spindles 50 and 58 are simultaneously severed, for exampleby a shear, so that the winding of the plied yarns onto the empty tubeis assured.

After the process described, the twister draws the plied twist ends fromthe bobbin at rest in position IV through balloon eye 66, draw-offroller pair 67, if necessary, through a further yarn finishing device 68over delivery mechanism 69 to tube 70 of a winding device. The lattercomprises essentially winding roller 71, tube support 72 and threadguide 73. Through the operation of lever 74 on the stop 64 the spindleis freed, set in rotation by the endless belt 63 and the second twistingprocess is initiated by the application of the tube 70 in the tubesupport 72 to the winding roller 71. The connecting of two twistingprocesses and the possible interposing of one or more yarn improvementprocesses renders the apparatus of FIG. 2 especially suitable for theproduction of hand-knit yarns of wool or high-bulk yarns. Since in thesecond twisting operation the yarn of several bobbins of the firsttwisting process is twisted together, the bobbins on the tube 70 can bemade very large, which is advantageous for the further processing.

It is also possible, however, by means of the device according to theinvention already described to engage at the outlet end also a furtherworking process, in hand knitting yarns, which, for example, could bethe winding of balls.

As in the device of FIG. 1, however, it is also important in themultiple twist device of FIG. 2 that the last working process runfastest in time, since otherwise there occur stoppages which impair theefficiency of the device. In the device of FIG. 2 this desideratum ispresent, for the twist of the second twisting operation is generallyconsiderably lower than the twist of the first twisting process andbecause of the heavier yarn, in the second twisting operation threadbreakages rarely occur.

In FIG. 3 there is represented a further multiple twist device in frontview, which is especially suited for the production of technical twistyarns in one operation by means of the provided invention.

The device in FIG. 3 consists of two DD twist spindles 75 and 76, onwhich there are slipped cross bobbins 77 and 78 wound with plied yarn.Above the twist spindles there are placed cross bobbins 81 and 82likewise wound with plied yarn. Yarns 83 and 84 of bobbins 77 and 78 arefed through hollow shafts of the DD twist spindles in common with pliedyarns 8S and 86 coming from the bobbins 81 and 82, which previously werefed through thread brakes 87 and 88, balloon eyes 89 and 90 and overstorage plates 91 and 92 to the DD twist spindles, through perforatedspindle whorls 93 and 94 and plied by thread guide 95, wound on bobbin96 of winding and twisting spindle 97.

In each revolution of the DD twist spindle storage plates 91 and 92, theplied yarns 83, 84, 85, and 86 in section A receive a twist, for examplein S-direction. In section B, therefore, in the perforated DD spindlewhorls 93 and 94 the yarns thus twisted are twisted together in the sametwist number but in Z-direction.

As soon as bobbin 96 of winding and twisting spindle 97 is turnedthrough 180 on arm 98 of a lever rotatably mounted on bearing 99, asalready described in the preceding examples, the yarn coming from the DDtwist spindle is further wound without interruption on the empty tube ofwinding and twisting spindle 101 on second arm 102 of lever 100.

From the winding and twisting spindle in the twisting position the twistyarn is conducted to tube 103 which is fastened in bobbin frame 104,over deflection roll 105 and thread distributor 106. With thepressing-on of the winding and twisting spindle in the twist position onendless belts 107 and the placing of the tube 103 on winding roller 108the third twisting process is initiated.

The twist construction produced in the device according to FIG. 3 isschematically represented in FIG. 4 with the corresponding twistdirection of the individual twist components.

In the embodiment above described it was expedient that the workingprocesses joined into one operation have equal working speeds, or moreadvantageously, the second working process, from the viewpoint of timerequirements, should be somewhat shorter than the first. The processaccording to the present invention makes possible, however, also thegrouping together of working processes whose production speeddifferences are very great.

In FIG. 5 there is represented as an example in plan view a group of OEspinning units, from whose bobbins in the rest position the yarn iswound off by a reciprocating automatic winding device, knotted together,cleaned and rewound on cross bobbins suited for the further processing.

Yarn spun in spinning rotors 109 is drawn off in OE spinning machinesordinarily by draw-off rollers 11] from the spinning rotors and bythread guides 12 distributed on the bobbins lying on winding rollers113. The winding places of the OE spinning places in FIG.

5, however, are not, as hitherto usual, equipped with a simple bobbinframe for the support of the bobbins, for each spinning place there areprovided two combined winding and run-off spindles 118 and 119 fastenedto arms 114 and 115 of lever 117 rotatably mounted in bearing 116.

At the commencement of the spinning, the spinner conducts the yarn 110spun by the spinning rotors to the winding and run-off spindles 118.Diameter sensors 120 initiate, after the reaching of the desired bobbindiameter, similarly as in the devices already described, the turning ofthe lever 117 through 180, so that there upon the yarn continues to runonto the empty or incompletely wound bobbin of the winding and runoffspindle 119, without interruption of the spinning process.

Automatic pirning head 123 running along the spinning machine, forexample on rails 12] and 122, is equipped with suction nozzle 124 anddrive roller 125. Head 123 winds on from several combined winding andrun-off spindles successively or is actuated by a programming devicecontrolled by the bobbin standing longest in the rest position.

As soon as winding device 123 stops at bobbin 126 to be wound off, thedrive roller touches the surface of the bobbin or disk 127 provided forthis purpose and placed on the winding run-off spindle and begins todrive the bobbin 126 slowly so that yarn suction nozzle 126 can suck upyarn end 128 from the bobbin 126 and feed it to knotting device 129 ofthe automatic winding device 123. The knotting device knots the yarn end128 with the yarn end of cross bobbin 130 and initiates the winding-offof the yarn from the bobbin 126.

In the case of a thread breakage, as is usual in automatic cross-windingdevices, the cross bobbin 130 is stopped, and in the case of a yarnfault the yarn is additionally severed, for example, by an electronicyarn cleaner. Known devices guide both yarn ends into knotter 129 andafter the knotting together of the yarn ends, a sensor initiates thefurther winding.

In the device described, the yarn drawn off radially from the bobbin 126drives the winding and run-off spindle 119. The mass accelerationsoccurring and a possible advance running of the bobbin can limit thedraw-off speed and lead to unnecessary thread breakages, for whichreason it is in many cases more advantageous to draw off the yarn fromthe bobbin 126 axially, in which case the spindle 119 does not have torotate with the bobbin 126.

For this purpose it is necessary to equip the spindles 118 and 119 onthe lever 119 with an additional joint over which the bobbins in therun-off position are erected by the automatic cross bobbin devicethrough additional arrangements before the winding off.

In order to simplify the winding off of the yarn from.

the bobbins in the rest position, the automatic crosswinding device 123can, depending on the spinning speed, wind off the yarn for apredetermined time at each spinning plate and thereupon move to the nextbobbin in the rest position, without regard to whether the yarn on thebobbin 126 was entirely wound off or the automatic cross bobbin deviceis at a standstill for a time because of the premature running off ofthe yarn. Without interrupting the spinning process, also winding andrun-off spindles with partially wound bobbins can be brought by thelever 117 into the spinning position and the winding of the new yarn canbe continued on these bobbins, since in the course of time the threadbreakages distribute uniformly in all the working places.

The number of the spinning places allocated to a moving automaticpirning head will, however, in this case be smaller and it can alsooccur that some bobbins at working places with many thread breakageshave to be removed by hand from the winding and run-off spindle.

The device in FIG. 5, however, can also be formed in such a way thatseveral automatic cross-winding de vices run in succession along severalspinning machines and eject the full cross bobbins with the cleaned yarnat a certain place from their winding spindles into a container andreplace them by empty tubes, for example, from a magazine.

In FIG. 6 there is represented in side view a ring spinning machine withspinning spindles rotatable about an axis by which the spinning, thewinding off of the yarn from the cops, the yarn cleaning, and thewinding of the yarn from several cops onto one cross bobbin take placesimultaneously on a machine.

Each spinning place of the ring twist machine is equipped with twocombined spinning and run-off spindles 133 and 134 borne on lever 131about axis 132. [f cops 135 on spindles 133 are full, the spinningmachine, as usual, stops the spinning operation and after the formationof upper winding reserve 136, ring rail 137 is driven up out of itsworking position into position C, so that the spindles 133 and 134 arenot hampered in their rotation through After completion of the rotation,the spindle 133 with its full cop 13S comes out of the spinning positioninto the wind-off position, the spindle 134 with the tube in themeantime wound off, however, moves into the spinning position. Here,however, care must be taken that the yarn remains in runner 138 of ring139.

Before the new spinning cycle, the ring rail 137, by means provided forthis on the ring-spinning machine, passes into its starting position andthe spindle now standing in the spinning position in turned about 8 to12 times by drive band 140, in order to form the underwinding necessaryfor the further spinning. The yarn necessary for this is drawn off fromthe cop standing in the run-ofi' position and thereupon the yarn piecebetween the two spindles is cut off by shears, whereupon the newspinning operation can commence.

Over the runoff spindles 134 on rail 142 there runs automaticcross-winding device 143, whose operation corresponds essentially tothat of the winding device described in FIG. 5. The upper winding 136 isdrawn off by suction funnel 144 of the automatic winding device and theyarn is fed to a knotter which knots together the yarn beginning of thecop with the yarn end of the cross bobbin. In the case of a threadbreakage in the section between the cop and the automatic winding place143, the suction funnel 144 again feeds the yarn from the cop. After thewinding off of the yarn from the corresponding run-off spindle 134, theautomatic winding device on the rail 142 runs to the next spindle in therun-off position and repeats the process described.

The devices according to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 can also be formed in such amanner that to each spinning place there is allocated a cross-windingplace and only the actual knotting device with the suction nozzle andthe electronic yarn cleaner moves between the spinning and run-offspindles in the wind off position. In any case, care must be taken thatduring the changing process of the spindles, the winding devices do notdisturb this operation. This time can be well utilized, for exampie, fordepositing the full cross bobbins from the winding devices and forsetting the empty tubes on the winding spindles.

In FIG. 7 there is represented in side view a com bined ring-twist anduptwister twisting machine. in order to achieve high twistingperformances with good twist drop-out, it is, in many cases advantageousto subdivide the twisting proeess into two operations independent of oneanother. The plied yarn is first pretwisted on a ring-twist machine withrelatively low twist at high thread speed and thereupon after twisted onan uptwister twist machine which permits operating at a high spindleturning rate.

These steps of the twisting process can be connected in one operation bymeans of ring-twisted and uptwister spindles rotatable about an axis asin the device according to F IG. 7. Plied yarns 154 drawn off frombobbins 145 and 146 by delivery mechanism 147, fed to combinedring-twist and uptwister spindle 151 through balloon eye 152 and runner153, are pretwisted at about of the intended twist number or at thehighest possible turning speed of the runner 153 with high yarn deliveryspeed. If the twist cop standing in the ring-twist position or diskbobbin 155 is wound with yarn, the device stops the ring-twistoperation. Ring rail 156 is raised in the arrow direction, so thatthrough a rotation of lever 150 through 180 the combined spindle 151with the full disk bobbin can pass into the uptwister position andcombined spindle 157 on arm 158 of the lever 150 can pass into thering-twist position.

Before the setting in operation of the two twisting processes, the ringrail 156 is brought back into the starting position through severalturns of the spindle standing in the ring-twist position, theunderwinding necessary for the ring-twisting, with already pretwistedplied yarn is drawn off from the spindle now standing in the uptwisterspindle position and thereupon the yarn piece between the two spindlesis severed.

From a twist programming device (not illustrated) the ring-twistingcycle can now be again initiated, in which process the twister at thespindles which accidentally are running without yarn, which may havebeen caused, for example, by the jumping of the yarn out of the runneror through a poor underwinding, is threaded by twisting the yarn intothe device. The yarn end of the spindle standing in the uptwisterposition with the pretwisted yarn is fed by a device not represented orby the twister, as already described in the preceding examples throughballoon eye 159 and delivery mechanism 160 to tube 161. After thereleasing of a blocking device, whorl 162 of the spindle is pressed inthe uptwister twist position against endless belt 163 and through theapplying of the tube to winding roller 164 the second twisting processis initiated.

In the case of very heavy yarns as, for example, in the case of carpetyarns which are twisted into a Mouline yarn with relatively low twistnumber, the efficiency of the twisting machines even with large cops ordisk bobbins is very poor, since the actual twisting stands in anunfavorable time relation to the removal of the full cops from thespindles and the slipping on of the empty tubes. With the devicedescribed in FIG. 7, through the use of two spindles per twisting placethe down times of the twisting machine can be greatly reduced, as theyarn from the spindle not in ring-twist position is wound simply throughthe balloon eye and the delivery mechanism onto the tube 161, withoutturning the spindie in the process.

In the embodiments described for the connecting and/for for thesimultaneous execution of several working processes on one machine or amachine group, the connecting element consists of elements executing twofunctions. it is, however, also possible in the event that it isexpedient, to use also three or more combined spinning, twisting orwinding spindles. As a device for changing the working processconnecting elements, it is not always necessary to use a two-armed leverand for the process to take place through turning this lever through Itis, for example, possible to carry out the process by a shifting of twoor more combined spindles in one or also in several directions.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for performing at least two steps in the production of ayarn product, the combination comprising a first yarn winding spindle, afirst winding tube seated thereon, a yarn unwinding spindle having asecond winding tube seated thereon, said yarn winding and said yamunwinding spindles and said first and said second winding tubes seatedthereon being movable between first positions of use and secondpositions of use assumed when employed in said two steps; common supportmeans for said winding and said unwinding spindles and tubes seatedthereon for alternately moving said spindles between said first andsecond positions of use without removal of said tubes seated thereon;said yarn winding and said yarn unwinding spindles functioning as yarnwinding and yarn unwinding spindles, respectively, in said firstpositions of use and as yarn unwinding and yarn winding spindles,respectively, in said second positions of use; said winding andunwinding spindles when functioning as winding spindles being employedin the first of said steps, said winding and unwinding spindles whenfunctioning as unwinding spindles being employed in the second of saidsteps.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said common support means comprisesa pivotally mounted arm and is in combination with means for drivingsaid winding and said unwinding tubes, and means sensitive to the sizeof one of said tubes for actuating the arm to move.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which apparatus employed in conjunctionwith said spindles in said first position of use includesyarn-texturizing means having yarn run-off bobbins, thread brakescontrolling the yarn passing from said bobbins, delivery elementsreceiving the yarn from said brakes and delivering said yarn to saidfirst winding tube disposed in said first position of use.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which apparatus employed in conjunctionwith said first winding tube in said first position of use includesupright twister spindles having seated thereon yarn unwinding bobbinsfrom which yarn is drawn, a yarn treatment device for receiving yarnfrom said twister spindles and from which the yarn passes onto saidfirst winding tube in a first position of use; said first winding tubebeing moved by said support means upon reaching a desired diameter tosaid second position of use whereat the spindle on which said firstwinding tube is mounted functions as an unwinding spindle for feedingyarn, and a second yarn treatment device for receiving yarn from saidunwinding spindle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the apparatus employed incombination with the first winding tube in the first position of useincludes a plurality of double twist spindles on which are seated crossbobbins wound with plied yarn; said bobbins feeding said first windingtube disposed in said first position of use; said first winding tubebeing moved by said support means into said second position of use uponattaining a predetermined diameter whereat said twisted yarn is furthertwisted and unwound from said first winding tube onto a winding roller;the spindle on which said first winding tube is mounted comprising atwist spindle.

6. In combination, a plurality of spinning units having rotors fromwhich yarn is drawn off and simultaneously wound on a plurality of firstwinding tubes of apparatuses as recited in claim 1 disposed in firstpositions of use; said first winding tubes being moved by their supportmeans after attaining predetermined diameters; actuators sensitive tothe sizes of said first winding tubes for actuating said support meansto move said winding tubes to said second positions of use; an automaticpirning head movable along said first winding tubes in said secondposition of use of successively unwinding the yarn from said firstwinding tubes which have been moved into said second position of use bytheir support means.

7. The combination of claim 1 in which a ring spinning machine having aring rail provides yarn to said first winding tube in the first positionof use, and a sensor sensitive to the size of said first winding tubeadapted to urge said ring rail away from the first winding tube upon thelatter reaching a predetermined size; said sensor also actuating thesupport means to move said first winding tube into said second positionof use wherein the second step is carried out; and an automatic pirninghead movable along a path adjacent said first winding tube in saidsecond position, adapted to unwind the yarn on said first winding tube.

8. The combination of claim 1 in which supply bobbins feed plied yarn tosaid first winding tube in the first position of use; delivery rollersand an axially movable ring rail engaging said plied yarn and interposedsaid supply bobbins and said first winding tube; said ring rail beingmovable into spaced relation with said first winding tube in the courseof movement thereof by said support means; the spindle on which saidfirst winding tube is seated functioning as an upright twister spindle;and a receiving roller for receiving the yarn from said first windingtube. in the course of which the yarn is again twisted when said firstwinding tube is in said second position of use.

1. Apparatus for performing at least two steps in the production of ayarn product, the combination comprising a first yarn winding spindle, afirst winding tube seated thereon, a yarn unwinding spindle having asecond winding tube seated thereon, said yarn winding and said yarnunwinding spindles and said first and said second winding tubes seatedthereon being movable between first positions of use and secondpositions of use assumed when employed in said two steps; common supportmeans for said winding and said unwinding spindles and tubes seatedthereon for alternately moving said spindles between said first andsecond positions of use without removal of said tubes seated thereon;said yarn winding and said yarn unwinding spindles functioning as yarnwinding and yarn unwinding spindles, respectively, in said firstpositions of use and as yarn unwinding and yarn winding spindles,respectively, in said second positions of use; said winding andunwinding spindles when functioning as winding spindles being employedin the first of said steps, said winding and unwinding spindles whenfunctioning as unwinding spindles being employed in the second of saidsteps.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said common support meanscomprises a pivotally mounted arm and is in combination with means fordriving said winding and said unwinding tubes, and means sensitive tothe size of one of said tubes for actuating the arm to move.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1 in which apparatus employed in conjunction withsaid spindles in said first position of use includes yarn-texturizingmeans having yarn run-off bobbins, thread brakes controlling the yarnpassing from said bobbins, delivery elements receiving the yarn fromsaid brakes and delivering said yarn to said first winding tube disposedin said first position of use.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 in whichapparatus employed in conjunction with said first winding tube in saidfirst position of use includes upright twister spindles having seatedthereon yarn unwinding bobbins from which yarn is drawn, a yarntreatment device for receiving yarn from said twister spindles and fromwhich the yarn passes onto said first winding tube in a first positionof use; said first winding tube being moved by said support means uponreaching a desired diameter to said second position of use whereat thespindle on which said first winding tube is mounted functions as anunwinding spindle for feeding yarn, and a second yarn treatment devicefor receiving yarn from said unwinding spindle.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 1 in which the apparatus employed in combination with the firstwinding tube in the first position of use includes a plurality of doubletwist spindles on which are seated cross bobbins wound with plied yarn;said boBbins feeding said first winding tube disposed in said firstposition of use; said first winding tube being moved by said supportmeans into said second position of use upon attaining a predetermineddiameter whereat said twisted yarn is further twisted and unwound fromsaid first winding tube onto a winding roller; the spindle on which saidfirst winding tube is mounted comprising a twist spindle.
 6. Incombination, a plurality of spinning units having rotors from which yarnis drawn off and simultaneously wound on a plurality of first windingtubes of apparatuses as recited in claim 1 disposed in first positionsof use; said first winding tubes being moved by their support meansafter attaining predetermined diameters; actuators sensitive to thesizes of said first winding tubes for actuating said support means tomove said winding tubes to said second positions of use; an automaticpirning head movable along said first winding tubes in said secondposition of use of successively unwinding the yarn from said firstwinding tubes which have been moved into said second position of use bytheir support means.
 7. The combination of claim 1 in which a ringspinning machine having a ring rail provides yarn to said first windingtube in the first position of use, and a sensor sensitive to the size ofsaid first winding tube adapted to urge said ring rail away from thefirst winding tube upon the latter reaching a predetermined size; saidsensor also actuating the support means to move said first winding tubeinto said second position of use wherein the second step is carried out;and an automatic pirning head movable along a path adjacent said firstwinding tube in said second position, adapted to unwind the yarn on saidfirst winding tube.
 8. The combination of claim 1 in which supplybobbins feed plied yarn to said first winding tube in the first positionof use; delivery rollers and an axially movable ring rail engaging saidplied yarn and interposed said supply bobbins and said first windingtube; said ring rail being movable into spaced relation with said firstwinding tube in the course of movement thereof by said support means;the spindle on which said first winding tube is seated functioning as anupright twister spindle; and a receiving roller for receiving the yarnfrom said first winding tube, in the course of which the yarn is againtwisted when said first winding tube is in said second position of use.